Strap end retainer



Sept. 30, 1941.A A. MEI-:HAN

STRAP END RETAINER Filed June 11, l1940 l Il A Tra/mty Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE STRAP END RETAINER Albert Meehan, Baltimore, Md.

Application June 11, 1940, Serial No. 339,977

3 Claims. (Cl. 2li-1 8) This invention relates to strap end retainers andparticularly to a strap end retainer adapted to be used in connection with dress belts, shoes or other articles of wear comprising or including strap members or end portions buckled or other- Wise fastened together.

A dress belt is ordinarily provided upon one of its meeting ends with a buckle or like fastener for adjustable engagement with the other end of the belt which is commonly provided with a plurality of spaced openings for engagement with a tongue or equivalent fastening means on the buckle. The free extremity of the belt or strap end which engages the buckle ordinarily projects loosely beyond the buckled point, and this loose l extremity often curls upon itself `or projects unduly beyond the belt and is a source of annoyance to the wearer, besides detracting from the dress appearance of the belt. Sandals and like shoes and other articles of wear provided with strap members adapted to be buckled together are open to like objections because of the presence of strap ends extending loosely beyond the buckling point.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and effective means for retaining or holding the loose end of a belt, strap of a shoe or like article of wear so as to hold the same closely against the belt or surface of the article, whereby the same is prevented from curling and the other objections noted are overcome.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the meeting ends of a belt, showing the ends thereof buckled together and the loose end of the belt held by the retaining means.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the end of the belt carrying the buckle and retaining means.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of the end of the belt carrying lthe hooked retaining member.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modification omitting the use of the keeper member.

Fig. 6 is a view of a womans shoe of sandal f type showing the application of the invention thereto.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 6 Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawing, I designates a split dress belt to which my invention as shown therein is applied. This belt is provided with suitable means for normally connecting its meeting ends 2 and 3 together so as to adapt the belt to be adjusted as to effective size and secured about the waist of the wearer. The fastening means employed may be of ordinary buckle or other suitable fastener type, but in the present instance I have shown the use of a dual hold fastener 4 on the belt end 2 for cooperation with a longitudinal series of openings 5 in the belt end 3. rIhe fastener 4 comprises a holding member 5 permanently fastened to the belt end 2 .and provided with a pair of pin studs 'l to engage a corresponding number of adjacent openings 5 in the belt end 3, and a clasp member 8 hinged at its lower edge, as at 9, to the lower edge of the member 6 and having at its upper edge a spring catch flange I0 to hook over a keeper flange Il at the upper edge of the member 6. The clasp member 3 is adapted to be swung outward or open on the hinge 9 to allow the belt end 3 to be lapped over the belt end 2 and the proper openings 5 to be brought into registry with the studs 'I and into engagement therewith to fasten the adjusted belt in position, after which the clasp member is swung upward t'o overlie the studs and engage openings and its catch flange I0 is engaged with the keeper flange Il to hold the belt end 3 in engagement with the studs. The member 8 also serves as an eseutcheon plate to conceal the engaged parts from view and give an ornamental appearance to the fastener and belt `at the fastening point. This member 8 may be made as ornamental as desired and bear an initial or monogram of the user of the belt.

When the ends of a belt are so fastened together the end 3 generally extends in the form of a free extremity a greater or less distance beyond the fastener. This free extremity, lbeing loose, often curls, interferes with body movements of the wearer and gives the belt an unsightly appearance at its most prominently displayed portion. My invention consists in the provision of simple, reliable and efficient means for overcoming these objections-and holding the free extremity from curling andin close contact with and from outward movement relative to the belt.

VThepmeans provided for the purpose in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a retainer strip l2, preferably of metal, extending across the outer face of the belt end 3 adjacent to its tip or extremity. This strip may be fastened to the end 3 in any suitable manner, but advantageously may be fastened in place by means of a single rivet I3. The use of this rivet allows the rivet to be passed through an opening I4 located beyond the openings 5 and in alinement therewith and which may be formed in the belt at the same 'time as the openings 5. To prevent the strip from having pivotal motion on this single rivet the lower end of the strip is provided with an abutment flange I5 which engages under the lower edge of the belt end 3. At its upper end the strip is provided with an inwardly and downwardly bent retaining hook I6 which projects inwardly over and beyond the plane of the belt end 3. This hook is adapted for engagement with any one of a series of keeper loops I'I formed by a strip I8 sewed or otherwise fastened at spaced points I9 to the belt end 2, so that the free portions of the strip I8 between the fastened points I9 form the keeper loops. These loops may equal in number and spacing the openings 5 in the belt end 3 or beso disposed that in any adjusted position of the belt ends a loop I I will be disposed for engagement by the hook I6. After the belt is fastened in position about the wearer the hook I6 is engaged with the proper loop I'I to hold the free extremity of the belt end 3 close against and from outward movement relative to lthe belt end 2 so that it cannot curl or cause annoyance to the belt user or cause an unsightly appearance to be given to the belt. The strip I2 may be of attractive appearance so as to form an ornamental adjunct to the belt. Keeper I8 rmay be made of leather, wire or other suitable material and fastened in any suitable way to the belt. Individual keepers instead of a strip forming keeper loops may obviously be ernployed.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown a modication in which the construction of the belt ends 2 and 3 and fastener 4 may be the same as that previously described, as well as the general construction of the retainer, but here the retainer I2a is provided at its upper end with a hook Ia to directly engage the upper edge of the belt 2 to hold the free extremity of the belt end 3 from outward movement, thus dispensing with theuse of the keeper strip I8.

- In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the application of the invention to a shoe 20 of sandal type and having 4an upper split above the instep. In this type of shoe the sides 2| and 22 of the upper forming the divisions of the split are provided with strap members 23 and 24, one adapted to be passed overthe instep of the wearer and having perforations 25 to engage a buckle 26 on theother whereby the sandal is held in place upon the foot. Secured to the free end of the strap 23 is a retainer |21)` corresponding in construction to the retainer I2 or I2a and` whose hook I6 is adapted for engagement with keeper loops IIa formed by a keeper strip I8a secured at spaced points |90: to the shoe upper. Advantageously the keeper strip may beformed as shown by an extension ofthe strap 24,: but it may be an independent strip if desired. When the straps 23v and 24 are fastened yby the buckle 26, the free projecting extremity of the strap 23 carrying the retainer |21) may be engaged by its hook IS with a properly located keeper loop IIa, whereby said extremity of the strap will' be prevented from extending free and curling or catching in extraneous objects and will be held closely against the shoe upper so as to give a neat and tidy appearance to the buckled straps.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the construction, mode of use and advantages of my retaining means for the loose ends or extremities of belts or other straps will be readily understood without a further and extended description. While disclosed only for use in connection with a dress belt and a pair of shoes of a certain type, it will be obvious that the invention may be used on other kinds of straps and on other articles of wear employing fastened straps for performing the functions and obtaining the advantages incident to its use herein described. While the structural features of the retaining devices herein disclosed are preferred, it is to be understood that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts other than those set forth may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. An article of wear having meeting portions, and a fastener for uniting the same, one of the meeting portions extending beyond the fastener so as to be normally free, a keeper disposed on the outer face of the other meeting portion and provided with a plurality of loops, and a retainer comprising a strip secured upon the outer face of said normally free portion and having a downbent upper end projecting inwardly over the upper edge of the free portion and downwardly upon the inner face thereof and engageable with any of the loops of the keeper to hold said free portion from outward movement relative to the article.

2. A belt having a fastener on one of its ends and having its opposite end provided with'a plurality of spaced openings for adjustable engagement with the fastener, and a retainer on the latter-named end of the belt beyond the openings, said retainer comprising a strip extending across the outer face of the belt and fastened intermediate of its end thereto, the lower end `of said strip having a flange engaging the lower edge of the Vbelt and the upper end of the strip having a downbent vhook projecting inwardly beyond the inner face of said latter-named end Y of theV belt for engagement with carrying end of the belt.

3. A shoe having an upper divided at the front, straps attached to the divisions of the'upper, a keeper on the outer face of one of the divisions of the upper, fastening means on one ofthe straps with which the other strap is engageable to adjustably connect the straps, and a retainer comprising a strip secured upon the outer'face of the free end of the second-named strap and having a downbent hook at its upper end projecting inwardly over and beyond theiupper edge the fastener `of said strip and lyingon the inner Aface Vthereof for engagement with any of said keepers. f

Y ALBERT 

